Kievan Rus' (Olga)
Kievan Rus' led by Olga is a custom civilization produced by TarcisioCM/Tarmont, with contributions from Danrell. Overview Kievan Rus' Kievan Rus was a loose federation of East Slavic tribes in Europe from the late 9th to the mid-13th century, under the reign of the Rurik dynasty. The modern peoples of Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia all claim Kievan Rus' as their cultural ancestors. At its greatest extent in the mid-11th century, it stretched from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south and from the headwaters of the Vistula in the west to the Taman Peninsula in the east, uniting the majority of East Slavic tribes. The state declined beginning in the late 11th century and during the 12th century, disintegrating into various rival regional powers. It was further weakened by economic factors such as the collapse of Rus' commercial ties to Byzantium due to the decline of Constantinople and the accompanying diminution of trade routes through its territory. The state finally fell to the Mongol invasion of the 1240s. Saint Olga of Kiev Saint Olga was a ruler of Kievan Rus' as regent for her son, Svyatoslav. She was the wife of Igor of Kiev, who was killed by the Drevlians; at the time of her husband's death, their son Svyatoslav was three years old, making Olga the official ruler of Kievan Rus until he reached adulthood. The Drevlians wanted Olga to marry their Prince Mal, making him the ruler of Kievan Rus, but Olga was determined to remain in power and preserve it for her son. She buried and burned the first Drevlian representatives alive, then deceived the rest on her husband's funeral feast, killing over 5,000 Drevlians, and ultimately sending an army to their lands to attack the survivors. Olga remained regent ruler of Kievan Rus with the support of the army and her people. She changed the system of tribute gathering (poliudie) in the first legal reform recorded in Eastern Europe. She continued to evade proposals of marriage, defended the city during the Siege of Kiev in 968, and saved the power of the throne for her son. Olga was the first ruler of Rus' to convert to Christianity, in either 945 or 957, and for that she was canonized Saint. Dawn of Man Our prayers go to you, Saint Olga, princess of Kiev and regent of the Rus'! As the faithful wife of Igor of Kiev, you unleashed indiscriminated revenge upon the Drevlians who had him murdered, thus securing the future rule of your young son, Sviatoslav, who would extend the influence of the Rus' to all the lands between the Volga and Balkan Bulgarias. Blessed Olga, times of hardship have swept through your beloved Kievan Rus' and forever split your people. Will you restore order among the east Slavs, and once again guide them as the princess of Kiev? Will you build a civilization that will stand the test of time? Introduction: "Welcome to Rus', we here mostly seek peaceful trade with outsiders, and little else. Don't mind the screams behind me." Defeat: "You have no idea what you've got yourself into." Unique Attributes Strategy Mod Support Full Credits List * TarcisioCM: Author, Design, Lua, text * Danrell: Art * Amplitude Studios: War, Peace Themes Category:TarcisioCM Category:Eastern Cultures Category:Civilizations with Female leaders Category:Russia Category:All Civilizations